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Prepare Your Sailboat for a Storm with Brownell Boat Stands

Posted on October 26, 2015

It seems as if the hurricane season gets more intense each year. When it comes to protecting your boat, it is important to be ready to get it out of the water and protect it in storage on a moment’s notice. If you own a boat anywhere from New England down to Texas, you know that hurricane season runs from the late summer months on through fall.

Approximately two hurricanes will come ashore in the United States, causing flooding, overturned and sinking boats, destroying homes and anything else in their wake. Current weather patterns reveal a strong indication that there may be even more hurricanes coming ashore in the United States in the coming years. It’s time to make sure that you are prepared.

Storing Your Boat in a Hurricane
If you have time to store your boat ashore, it is important to choose the right place. Sailboat jack stands and high quality TLC boat pads from Brownell boat stands will help you to store your boat on land. Choose from a wide variety of stands, including foldable sailboat stands, designed specifically for sailboat use. Studies have revealed that a sailboat that was stored ashore was much more likely to be saved than a boat that was stored in the water. That being said, not all storage situations are created equal.

The high winds of a hurricane can topple storage racks, so it is best to avoid that type of situation. Boat yards that are very near to the water are also a no-no in this type of situation, so your best bet is to get your boat up and onto a trailer as soon as you can and get it as far inland as possible. Making sure that you have a solid relationship with your local marina is key to getting your boat out in time to get it away from the destructive nature of the storm. When you scout around for marinas or yacht clubs, make sure to speak with them about evacuation plans and what they currently do for their clients when a storm is approaching.

There may be a “pecking order” of boats that will be hauled out before the rest due to their inability to last through a storm. Boats that are open and smaller, as well as some of the high performance powerboats, are just two examples of boats that will almost always be damaged in heavy rain, spray and waves. The good news is that most of these vessels can be easily hauled out of the water, put onto trailers and then transported inland away from the storm.

Storing Above the Storm Surge
It is also important for boat owners to know a bit about the area that they are in when it comes to protecting a sailboat in a hurricane or severe storm. Using the right type of equipment to store your boat ashore is essential and it can’t be stressed enough the importance of using high quality TLC boat pads with sailboat jack stands, foldable sailboat stands and other equipment from Brownell boat stands. Beyond that, boats should be stored above the storm surge to protect them fully.

Studies of marinas and situations where hurricanes have come ashore and caused damaged to the marine industry have revealed that even boats that get tipped off of their sailboat jack stands by the rising water will sustain less damage than if they were out on the water. High winds or windage should also be taken into consideration when storing your boat on dry land. Make sure to use extra sailboat jack stands, providing at least three to four on each side for boats that are larger than 30 feet and as many as five or six Brownell boat stands for boats larger than 30 feet.

Make sure that you are properly using your boat stands, whether you are using the stackable sailboat jack stands from Brownell boat stands or the foldable sailboat stands. Supported by wood and chained together, some boat owners in areas where there is serious windage will even dig holes for the sailboat keels to reduce windage. In some situations, the smaller sailboats will even be laid down on their sides to reduce damage that would be caused by getting knocked off of their sailboat jack stands.

Trust Brownell Boat Stands in a Storm
When it comes time to choose the boat stands that you will use to protect your boat from damage when it is stored on dry land, look no further than the trusted and true products available from Brownell boat stands. From foldable sailboat stands to high quality TLC boat pads, our line of sailboat jack stands and accessories is unmatched in long-lasting durability and professional craftsmanship.

To learn more about the Brownell boat stand system or to purchase motor boat stands, boat stands for sailboats or other essential equipment for proper hurricane or off-season boat storage, contact Brownell direct by calling +1-508-758-3671.